DEAD WRONG
One
Staci Malloy jumped as her brother Matt took handoff from the Rancho Grande quarterback. All the people around her cheered as Matt sliced through the line and broke into the open. He headed for the goal line.
" Go, Matt! Go!" she yelled.
A large player from Lincoln High tackled Matt threw him to the ground.
"You big creep!" Staci shouted " Pick on somebody your own size! Matt got up slowly. "Hey take it easy," her friend Deneen said. "Your brothers tough, he can take it. That was true. Staci knew Matt spent hours pumping iron and working out. "I know" She said. " But this is a football game, not a war. That guy looks mad enough to smash a brick wall with his fist" " He's probably a steroid geek" Rick said Deneen sighed " I think he's kinda cute" " He;s an animal," Staci said, then turned to Rick "What do you mean steroid geek?" " He's probably using antibiotic steroids to bulk himself up, to make himself bigger, stronger and more aggressive." Rick told her. "Lots of kids use them" " So what's wrong with getting bigger and stronger?" Deneen asked " I mean, football players are supposed to be big and strong, aren't they?" Rick gave her a disgusted look "Because steroids are dangerous. And illegal" Rick Wagner was fifteen, a year older than Staci and Deneen, but they had known each other since we were little kids. The Malloys, Wagners and Cusiks sometimes spent holidays holidays and vacations together. Even though Rick hoped to make the basketball team this year, and he did a lot of running, he wasn't a full time jock. That was one of the things Staci liked about him. Well, I'm glad Matt would never take drugs. She knew her big brother would take care of his body. Staci turned back to the game. Rancho Grande was on the 9-yard line. Matt caught a screen pass and carried the ball to the 5-yard line. " I wonder if any college scouts came tonight?" She asked Rick " I don't think so," Rick answered " Probably not until we play Hawthorn. Staci knew how important the Hawthorn game was to Matt. The game would probably decide the conference championship. Plus Matt was hoping to get a scholarship. Matt got good grades, but Staci knew there was noway her parents could pay for college. If Matt could play well the rest of the season, there was a great chance he'd get to go to one of the best colleges on the country.
With only nine seconds left in the half, Rancho Grande lined up on the 5-yard line.The crowd yelled and stamped their feet to urge on the team. Staci could pick out her mothers voice even from a few rows away. Julie Malloy use to be a marathon runner and never missed a game. Luckily, she understood Staci wanted to sit with her friends, and never sat with them.
Everyone was standing except Matt's girlfriend. Krystal Karas ( She always introduced herself as Krystal with a " K ") sat directly in front of Staci. Instead of watching the game Krystal was reading something. Some girlfriend she is, Staci thought. On third down,the quarterback pitched the ball to Matt, and Matt bulled his way down the 1-yard line.
The crowd groaned. "Go for it! Go for it!" the fans yelled. Instead the coach decided to try a field goal. But the kicker missed, and the first half came to an end.
"Who want something to eat or drink?" Rick asked.
"I could go for popcorn" Staci said. "You could always go for some popcorn" Deneen said knowing Staci's weakness for popcorn. "I'll have a soda" She told Rick. Rick collected everybody's money. Then he tapped Krystal on the shoulder. She jumped as if her mind had been million miles away. " Uhh, how about you, Krystal?" He asked. Krystal looked up from her notebook. "What? she asked glancing around. " Want something to drink?" As soon as Rick left Staci asked Krystal what she was reading and why she wasn't watching Matt play.Krystal said she was trying to learn a speech for the Academy. The Academy! It was the same school where Staci hoped to go next summer. Staci's dream was to earn a scholarship to the Academy of Fine Arts in L.A. She wanted to study creative writing. Deneen had gotten a scholarship for music. The waiting list was so long, they only took the best of the best.And only one student could apply for Ranch Grande High.
Krystal was Staci's strongest competition for next summer's session. Krystal was pretty, tall,blonde, a strait A student, and the drama coach's pet.
" Go, Matt! Go!" she yelled.
A large player from Lincoln High tackled Matt threw him to the ground.
"You big creep!" Staci shouted " Pick on somebody your own size! Matt got up slowly. "Hey take it easy," her friend Deneen said. "Your brothers tough, he can take it. That was true. Staci knew Matt spent hours pumping iron and working out. "I know" She said. " But this is a football game, not a war. That guy looks mad enough to smash a brick wall with his fist" " He's probably a steroid geek" Rick said Deneen sighed " I think he's kinda cute" " He;s an animal," Staci said, then turned to Rick "What do you mean steroid geek?" " He's probably using antibiotic steroids to bulk himself up, to make himself bigger, stronger and more aggressive." Rick told her. "Lots of kids use them" " So what's wrong with getting bigger and stronger?" Deneen asked " I mean, football players are supposed to be big and strong, aren't they?" Rick gave her a disgusted look "Because steroids are dangerous. And illegal" Rick Wagner was fifteen, a year older than Staci and Deneen, but they had known each other since we were little kids. The Malloys, Wagners and Cusiks sometimes spent holidays holidays and vacations together. Even though Rick hoped to make the basketball team this year, and he did a lot of running, he wasn't a full time jock. That was one of the things Staci liked about him. Well, I'm glad Matt would never take drugs. She knew her big brother would take care of his body. Staci turned back to the game. Rancho Grande was on the 9-yard line. Matt caught a screen pass and carried the ball to the 5-yard line. " I wonder if any college scouts came tonight?" She asked Rick " I don't think so," Rick answered " Probably not until we play Hawthorn. Staci knew how important the Hawthorn game was to Matt. The game would probably decide the conference championship. Plus Matt was hoping to get a scholarship. Matt got good grades, but Staci knew there was noway her parents could pay for college. If Matt could play well the rest of the season, there was a great chance he'd get to go to one of the best colleges on the country.
With only nine seconds left in the half, Rancho Grande lined up on the 5-yard line.The crowd yelled and stamped their feet to urge on the team. Staci could pick out her mothers voice even from a few rows away. Julie Malloy use to be a marathon runner and never missed a game. Luckily, she understood Staci wanted to sit with her friends, and never sat with them.
Everyone was standing except Matt's girlfriend. Krystal Karas ( She always introduced herself as Krystal with a " K ") sat directly in front of Staci. Instead of watching the game Krystal was reading something. Some girlfriend she is, Staci thought. On third down,the quarterback pitched the ball to Matt, and Matt bulled his way down the 1-yard line.
The crowd groaned. "Go for it! Go for it!" the fans yelled. Instead the coach decided to try a field goal. But the kicker missed, and the first half came to an end.
"Who want something to eat or drink?" Rick asked.
"I could go for popcorn" Staci said. "You could always go for some popcorn" Deneen said knowing Staci's weakness for popcorn. "I'll have a soda" She told Rick. Rick collected everybody's money. Then he tapped Krystal on the shoulder. She jumped as if her mind had been million miles away. " Uhh, how about you, Krystal?" He asked. Krystal looked up from her notebook. "What? she asked glancing around. " Want something to drink?" As soon as Rick left Staci asked Krystal what she was reading and why she wasn't watching Matt play.Krystal said she was trying to learn a speech for the Academy. The Academy! It was the same school where Staci hoped to go next summer. Staci's dream was to earn a scholarship to the Academy of Fine Arts in L.A. She wanted to study creative writing. Deneen had gotten a scholarship for music. The waiting list was so long, they only took the best of the best.And only one student could apply for Ranch Grande High.
Krystal was Staci's strongest competition for next summer's session. Krystal was pretty, tall,blonde, a strait A student, and the drama coach's pet.